Rosendale awaits official opening of trestle rail trail

Monday

Jun 24, 2013 at 2:00 AM

ROSENDALE — Bicyclists humming up the rail trail from Gardiner to Rosendale would, again and again, go through the same motions when they reached the towering steel rail trestle over the Rondout Creek.

James Nani

ROSENDALE — Bicyclists humming up the rail trail from Gardiner to Rosendale would, again and again, go through the same motions when they reached the towering steel rail trestle over the Rondout Creek.

They'd stop at the entrance to the 118-year-old, newly renovated rail trestle, peer through the locked gate stopping them, then turn around and leave.

On Saturday, that'll all change.

After being closed for almost four years, the Wallkill Valley Land Trust and the Open Space Institute will officially reopen the Rosendale trestle to the public.

The organizations raised $1.5 million to fund the restoration.

The 150-foot-high, 940-foot-long trestle has been the centerpiece of the two groups' goal of a continuous 24-mile recreational rail trail running from the southern border of the town of Gardiner to the city of Kingston.

In August 2009, the two organizations partnered to buy 11.5 miles of railroad bed that doubled the length of the rail trail, expanding it through Rosendale and Ulster, and on to Kingston.

Reaching the trail Sunday afternoon was Molly Jarvis of Rosendale. She said the opening will be a boon to locals.

"I can't wait, are you kidding? I can bike and run on it," said Jarvis.

The renovation is another chapter in the trestle's story that's crisscrossed the region's history.

With views of the Shawangunk Ridge, Joppenbergh Mountain and the Binnewater Hills, the trestle was once part of the Wallkill Valley Railroad founded a year after the Civil War. It transported everything from milk to lumber to anthracite coal.

In 1977, Conrail took over the line but abandoned it years later.

John Rahl, who lives at the entrance of the trestle on Mountain Road, bought it in 1986. In 1991 he leased it to two men who wanted to offer bungee jumping at the site,though the plan fell through.

The county later seized the trestle for nonpayment of taxes. Rahl is still bitter about the loss he claims was unlawful.

But local business owners have been hopeful the trestle's opening will help bring more business through the area, and said the project goes along with Rosendale's character.

"It's going to be awesome," said Shabbat Rusciolelli of The Big Cheese shop on Main Street.

"We're an outdoorsy community, and it's good to get out of vehicular transport."